What in the world are you up to?

25 MESSAGES

Phil Graf and I have landed in Uganda and are in the midst of the first of three trainings. Each time we come to Africa, we add one-more training and one more city. Here is how it works:

On our first trip last April, we conducted our Phase 1 training in Kampala, Uganda and Juba, South Sudan.
On our second trip last November/December, we conducted our Phase 2 training in both of these cities, plus repeated our Phase 1 training in a new city Gulu, Uganda (northern Uganda).
On our current trip, we will conduct our Phase 3 training in Kampala, Phase 2 in Gulu (with our South Sudanese leadership team joining us), and are conducting our Phase 1 training in the western Ugandan town of Rukungiri.

In all, we will present 25 different messages, each building toward our goal of multiplying viral, missional, church-planting movements.

MULTIPLYING CITIES

The purpose of adding a new city each time we travel is to create strategic regional mission hubs. Our training has now spread to Eastern Uganda (Kampala), Northern Uganda (Gulu), and Western Uganda (Rukungiri). Our vision, along with our Ugandan (and South Sudanese) ministry partners, is to multiply churches out from these centers that reach these areas and beyond with the good news of Jesus. Our focus in South Sudan thus far is focused on the capital city Juba.

On our next trip, we will add yet another city in Uganda. Each city is chosen because of its strategic regional importance from which our training will radiate out. The 25 to 30 leaders attending each training are chosen by the national African leaders we work with, on the basis of having demonstrated a proven ministry capability, a high degree of character and integrity, a visioning capacity, and a humility to know they can’t accomplish Him-possible dreams without God’s strength and help in training.

MULTIPLYING TRAINERS

During each trip, we train leaders who will train leaders who will train leaders. Two Ugandans – Moses and Chris – traveled with us last December to both Gulu and Juba to assist us in Phase 1 and 2 trainings. Moses and Chris are with us again in Rukungiri as presenters themselves. Meanwhile, Michael, Elisha, and Emmanuel also pictured below are also assisting us in Rukungiri. They will become presenters in the next city where we present Phase 1, and Moses and Chris will take on even more of the training load, while Phil and I coach.

In our upcoming Phase 2 training in Gulu, three other leaders from South Sudan and another Ugandan, Martin from Gulu, will begin the process of becoming trainers. I can’t begin to describe how excited Phil and I were the past three days to see the national leaders we are training lead parts of the training themselves. Each evening, Moses, Chris, and Michael (a trainer in training) meet together with Phil and me to assess that day and plan the next. We are seeing Paul’s admonition to Timothy lived out:

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).

The leaders we train select others from our trainings to repeat the process over and over again to multiply leaders who multiply churches that spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in the cities, towns, and regions of their countries. This is the foundation of our desire to multiply viral, missional, church-planting movements.

Thanks for making our ministry possible, and for being “on-expedition” together with us for Jesus and the Gospel.

Linus and Sharon